title: Use of clozapine in Brazilian patients with Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Clozapine has been used as an attempt to manage levodopa complications in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). To investigate the use of clozapine in this context in a Brazilian sample, a retrospective chart review was carried out at the Movement Disorders Clinic from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. This study enrolled 43 PD patients who used or were in use of clozapine. Patients had a mean age of 64 years and a mean UPDRS score of 55. Clozapine was indicated for dyskinesias in 17 patients, for psychosis in 15 and for both reasons in 11. The average maximum dose was 70 mg/day. Twenty six patients used it for a mean of 3.5 years. Twenty nine presented an improvement of their condition, 9 remained clinically stable. Twenty subjects interrupted the use of clozapine, being 9 due to adverse effects. Clozapine may play a role in the management of motor and psychiatric complications in PD, but it is associated with low tolerability.
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Clinic, Service of Neurology, University Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gomide
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Antonio Lucio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D007980:Levodopa; D003024:Clozapine